What is this things called Acting?
Fri, 8 Sept 2006, 07:23 pmUPstageWA35 posts in thread
What is this things called Acting?
Fri, 8 Sept 2006, 07:23 pmLarge Meeting Room, Lotteries House, 2 Delhi St, West Perth
Seen any theatre lately? Been in a production?
Did you enjoy it? Was some of it, well... y'know.
UPstageWA is a company that wants to raise the bar on theatre. The aim is to provide opportunities for community theatre practitioners of all levels to learn from industry professionals and respected community theatre practitioners including fantastic networking opportunities for people in community theatre.
There will be a series of Discussion Panels and Master-classesi that "tell it like it is" on various topics. You may be confronted, you may not necessarily like everything you hear, but we assure you of the most interesting theatrical panel discussions you will ever experience.
Panel members will consist of industry professionals, respected community theatre practitioners, and people who have experience, background and credibility to shake us up a little. One week later, the panel will be followed by a Master-class which will deal with the issues raised at the panel discussion.
When: Our first Discussion Panel will be on Acting, Tuesday, October 17th at 7.30pm.
Cost: Discussion Panel is $10 per person ($5 for students)
Master-class is $15 per person (10$ for students)
Master-class bookings will be opened at the Discussion Panel – Places limited for the Master-class
Contact: Use the Write to Author link below to request more details.
UPstageWA - Refer to this link
Large Meeting Room, Lotteries House, 2 Delhi St, West Perth
Seen any theatre lately? Been in a production?
Did you enjoy it? Was some of it, well... y'know.
UPstageWA is a company that wants to raise the bar on theatre. The aim is to provide opportunities for community theatre practitioners of all levels to learn from industry professionals and respected community theatre practitioners including fantastic networking opportunities for people in community theatre.
There will be a series of Discussion Panels and Master-classesi that "tell it like it is" on various topics. You may be confronted, you may not necessarily like everything you hear, but we assure you of the most interesting theatrical panel discussions you will ever experience.
Panel members will consist of industry professionals, respected community theatre practitioners, and people who have experience, background and credibility to shake us up a little. One week later, the panel will be followed by a Master-class which will deal with the issues raised at the panel discussion.
When: Our first Discussion Panel will be on Acting, Tuesday, October 17th at 7.30pm.
Cost: Discussion Panel is $10 per person ($5 for students)
Master-class is $15 per person (10$ for students)
Master-class bookings will be opened at the Discussion Panel – Places limited for the Master-class
Contact: Use the Write to Author link below to request more details.
UPstageWA - Refer to this link
Looking forward to this
Want to express your frustrations over theatre in Perth/WA/Australia? Maybe you want to hear what others think? Or maybe you're feeling a little alone out there in the underground movement that is theatre and want to find/meet others who share your passions?
It is time to shake theatre up a little. In Perth at least. I invite you all to come along and hear what respected industry members have to say, then have your own say. I'm going to be there and you can bet your @$$ I'll be adding my buck's worth, or is that 2 cents worth? What is the value of free-speech these days?
Come-on guys, don't be square, chicken, boring, <add descriptive term here>. Come along and make it one of the most interesting nights you'll attend in a long time. I can promise you, it will be different.
Show your support and interest - post a reply - send a message to UPstageWA - Run down the street naked screaming "I'm going to UPstageWA". We'll hear you. ;-)
Dixi
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
http://au.geocities.com/labrug
Are you coming?
As a lead up to this new and ongoing series of events, we at UPstageWA would love to hear your comments of theatre in Australia Today.
What's good about it? What's not? What can be done? Can anything be done?
If you were to attend a discussion on Acting, what would you like to hear discussed?
We have our own ideas, but this is Community Theatre and everyone get's to have a say.
Have your say here, and then come along and see what all the noise is about.
UPstageWA - Raising the Bar for Theatre in WA
The Craft
If there is anything specific lacking or I feel needs to be addressed, it is stage craft. How to move your character around stage without upstaging yourself or other actors. How to make those movements appear natural, fluid and without stiffness. How to appear "Involved" in the scene even though you may not have any lines for the next four pages, etc.
The way an actor moves about the stage, in relation to the set, fellow performers, the lighting arrangements can completely change the presentation of the character. A Director can help to guide the actors through basic movement dynamics, but it is the development of the character itself that these dynamics can have either a supportive or destructive.
In nearly every show, there has been at least one or two performers whom have struggled with these concepts. Masking themselves unintentionally, not confident enough to move into a better position, etc. Common mistakes I have seen include;
- Take a step forward, speak your line, take a step back.
- Turning upstage presenting your back to the audience while speaking.
- Not paying attention to the scene and drawing (inadvertently) the audience away from the main action.
- In addition, not being "In The Moment".
- Telegraphing Queues - Actively listening for your key line.
- Leading with the down-stage foot when making big moves (turns your back on the audience).
I was involved in one production some years back where the male Lead walked like a Thunder-Birds Puppet. No joke! It was monumentally distracting for both the audience and the actors. The story was quickly lost and the focus was his style of walking.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
http://au.geocities.com/labrug
Some of these points are
I quite like breaking
Agreed!
Its very much a case of
When Rules get in the way.
I can't remember where or who, but once upon a time I learned a dialogue that went something like;
All truth/rules have their exceptions; occasions where they are to be broken; A lie is simply a truth with a very large number of exceptions.
The statement "Every Crow is Black" is suddenly false when an albino crow walks past or some wayward youth pulls out a can of spray paint and colours one pink.
This is the same for all rules and guidelines. There are times where breaking them can present a very powerful symbol, and we broke a few rules in Quake. ;-)
My specific concerns are more (as Alex mentions) when it is a sign of poor skills or inexperience. Before any actor can effectively break the rules as such, they must know what the rules are in order to understand the best opportunities to break them.
Rules broken in character are rules broken well. Rules broken from laziness, inexperience, poor skills, or pure arrogance are distructive to the performance.
On the whole, I agree with you Kirilee. I just see it as needing to go back to basics first. If you come along to the panel, you can pose these very questions yourself. I look forward to seeing you there.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Common thought
Alex, I wish more people thought like you do. 'The more you learn, the more you realise how much you have to learn...' is such a wonderful motto and I feel so very true.
It is sad however that there is a number out there who would believe otherwise. In linking to a poll I posted some time back, the majority of people thought training and knowledge was in continual development. About 20% of those who polled actually felt that there was a limit on how much they could learn and I think I have worked with a few of them.
You can teach an old dog new tricks, but the old dog has to be willing.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
The old dog does have to be
Same book
It is comforting to know there are others out there on the same page.
I have spent years teaching across various topics including theatre and one rule of thumb I have always lived by is that if I didn't learn something new, then I haven't been doing my job well enough. The students learning is one thing, but to be open to new approaches, points of view, etc is a key step to continually keeping ahead. It helped me to adjust my approach and ideas to accommodate my students.
I find the same philosophy also applies to life in general. To ignore opportunities to learn or develop, you lead yourself to stagnation and boredom. To learn is not just something you do at "school", it's an ingrained part of life.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Possibilities. . .on many levels
Keeping track of the thread is a good idea but....
However...
Rising Points
You raise a very important point; the difference between the passionate and enthusiast. People with a passion will never find satisfaction, will always strive for the next level or next thing. The enthusiast (it is probably not the best choice of words I accept) will be satisifed with a lower level of involvement. Community theatre does tend to be populated by enthusiasts by the very definition of the culture. That is, to provide non-professional (low-budget) theatre opportunities to both participants and audiences.
The nature of Community Theatre would tend to attract more enthusiasts than the passionate while professional theatre draws in the truely dedicated. It is a bit of a black-and-white view and is not entirely true, but is an overall acurate representation. However, even enthusiasts can become empassioned and strive for better.
I personally feel that this enthusiast mentality may very well be one of the key factors that keeps Community Theatre (CT) from developing a wider profile. A lot of general view points would tend to consider CT as a hobbiest's outlet rather than serious theatre. Anyone directly involved of course realise that is not the case, but it is the unrealised community that we are trying to reach aren't we? Or are we content to simply continue in our secret little lives?
There is a vast and rich culture in live theatre throughout Australia that simply is not being as realised as it could be. Maybe a change in the way we ourselves, as active participants in the form, can effect change in the wider community. It happens all the time, everywhere.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Psycho-analyst
As an off-shot from another thread, I have a query for anyone who has had to portray an intense of meaty character. What process did you use? Did you delve into the psychological history or just play the here and now? How deep is too deep when immersing yourself?
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Old and new dogs
An Actors Jog
Although you live in Adelaide, your feedback is always welcome.
Logos, I think you point toward more the exception to the rule more so, and also raise important considerations. There are different aspects to training; Training to learn and develop skills, and training to hone and finely tune what skills you have.
I have also had the honour to learn from old and young dogs who have in a technical sense reached the top of their field, and yet these same said individuals are also engaged in regular refresher courses, making sure their skills do not become encrusted and stiff. While they have learnt all they can, they still acknowledge that closing yourself off to continual training can prove detrimental to their personal performance. Their dedication to ensuring their skills we always finely tuned was an inspiration to me.
People like Geoffrey Rush who after winning an Academy Award for Shine was next seen attending acting workshops, people at the top of his game who still see the need to train. It is not a matter of if the training is needed, it understanding that without continual challenge and direction, skills can become flabby. They need regular testing and exercise.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
In terms of delveing into
Hobby
In Government Eyes
Yes, I am quite familiar with the Govt's distinction of Hobby and Professional having tried to work as a contract trainer for a number of years. In non-government terms, a hobbyist is someone who has an interest, which could range into earnest passion. The government sees them in terms of potential tax revenue. ;-)
CT is a hobby, no-one can disagree with that. We are not paid. There is little profit in CT if any, at least in a monetary sense. It's a good thing the Governments of the world haven't yet figured out how to tax Enthusiasm!
Yet I think there would be a few CT Thespians would be offended to be labled a "hobbyist" with the belief that their hearts are more into it than that ;-)
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Hobbyist
Point Taken
Again Logos you have highlighted a very good point. Yes hobbyist as a general term is probably as negative as Amateur, which is to say, diddly-squat. Many hobbyists and amateurs of their respective fields have been the movers and shakers.
I gladly concede defeat on this one. I think I dug myself a hole without adequate forethought. LOL
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Clarification
Learning
Lost in the Darkness
Personally, as I am sure is true of most of us, I find the darker characters - cruel, emotional, depressed, manic - to have the greatest impact on me personally. They can take a big emotional toll on you, so yes, I agree Alex, you need to approach such characters with care. Most characters are what I call superficially available in that they do not ask a lot of the actor performing them.
Then there are those rather unique characters that require some deep soul searching, or involved research, that have experiences that are simply beyond the everyday experiences of the performer. I have never killed anyone either intentionally or through accident. Playing a character who has or has the desire to so so, is something rather alien, requiring something extra from me personally.
On those odd occasions where I have to play such a part, I have attempted to create the memories of events that have shaped the character. I have had to create a complete fictional history and the add emotional qualities, a bit like a novelist writing in the first person. How would you grab the reader and really draw them into the character and have them experience what they feel? And of course I put myself in the role of the reader firstly, then the character itself.
My hope is to make the character into a state-of-mind that I can get into and out of with minimal effort. It may not always work but I find it the most effective. Mind you, I have had limited opportunity to try it as I seem to be cast more frequently in either comic or goody-two-shoe type roles ;-)
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Live to Learn
Many years ago, I participated in a debate on the topic "Is there life after School?". Our team won and we were the negatice team. We based our argument purely on the fact the learning does not end, and therefore schooling as a generic term rather than an institution, did not end, ever. It was done in a "Big Debate" format and was heaps of fun.
Mind you, I felt I had a few good and convincing arguments had I been on the other side.
To learn is to live, to live is to learn.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Just out of interest...
Hands up who's going to this discussion? I am looking forward to meeting a few faces from this site and having an actual conversation with them! Text and postings do have their limitations.
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
I will not be attending but
Will do
Thank you for your interest Logos. Rest assured a review will be posted on the site when complete.
If you have plans on doing somethings similar, maybe we can help each other.
Incidentally, if anyone wants to contact us directly, you can email upstagewa@yahoo.com.au
UPstageWA - Raising the Bar for Theatre in WA
Hands up!!
I fly in from shows in
Ouch...
Nothing like a tight timeline. Hope you can make, but if you can't, I think we'll understand....
Absit invidia
Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
Gotta fit in uni between